Ancestry of Katharine Hepburn

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Written 2011 by Will Johnson Email me at wjhonson@aol.com or post your comments for public view far below. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License

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This Knol should be cited as:
See Also : Katharine Hepburn Movies on YouTube

 

 
Ahnentafel of Katharine Hepburn

1 Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Houghton Hepburn was born 1907 in Hartford, Connecticut, the daughter of Dr Thomas Norval Hepburn, and his wife Katharine Martha Houghton. Katharine Hepburn became an actress, first on the stage, but in 1932, recruited by Leland Hayward, possibly his first client as an agent, she went to Hollywood.  Katharine Hepburn died 2003.

Primary Sources for 1

• 1910 US Federal Census, Hartford, Connecticut : "Thomas N Hepburn, 30, married first, 6 years ago, VA/MD/VA, Physician; Katherine, wife, 32, NY/MA/NY; Thomas H, son, 4, CT; Katherine H, daughter, 2, CT; Ida J Wood, servant, mulatto, 35, VA, Housekeeper"
• US World War I Draft Registration Cards : "Thomas Norval Hepburn, resident 352 Laurel St, Hartford; born 18 Dec 1879, Surgeon.  Wife: Katharine Houghton Hepburn.  Medium height, Stout, Blue eyes, Light Brown hair
  
• 1920 US Federal Census, Hartford, Connecticut : "352 Laurel Street, Dr T N Hepburn, 40,  VA/MD/VA, Surgeon; Katherine H Hepburn, wife, 41, NY/MA/NY; Thomas H, son, 14, CT; Katherine H, daughter, 12, CT; Richard H, son, 8, CT; Robert H, son, 6, CT; Marion H, daughter, 1 9/12, CT; Fannie Ciarrier, servant, 43, Italy, Cook; Marcell Ciarrier, boarder, 13, France; Bertha Bituer, servant, 23, Germany-Poland, Housemaid"

Secondary Sources for 1

• Me : Stories of My Life, by Katharine Hepburn. Ballantine Books, 1996.
  
• Kate: The Woman Who Was Hepburn, by William J Mann.  Henry Holt and Company, 2006.
  

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2 Thomas Norval Hepburn
Thomas Norval Hepburn was born 18 Dec 1879 in Maryland, possibly in Kent County where the family is enumerated in the 1880 census, or in Hanover, Virginia as he himself states in his World War II Draft Registration Card.  He was the son of Rev Sewell Stavely Hepburn, a Protestant Episcopal minister, and his wife Selina Lloyd Powell.  On 7 Jun 1904, at Christ Church in Baltimore, Thomas married "Catherine M Houghton".  He became a doctor.  Thomas and Katherine had six children, although their eldest son Thomas committed suicide at the age of 15.  Their children were: Thomas, Katherine, Richard, Robert, Marion and Margaret.  Dr Hepburn was a leader in the fight for the availability of birth control and the campaign against venereal diseases.  He died 20 Nov 1962 in West Hartford, Connecticut.

Primary Sources for 2

• 1880 US Federal Census, Edesville, Kent County, Maryland : "Rev Sewell S Hepburn, 35, P E Minister, MO; Selina L, 34, wife, Keeping House, VA; Charles L, 7, son, VA; Sewell S Jr, 6, son, VA; Lloyd P, 4, son, MD; Selina L, 2, daughter, MD; T Norval, 5/12, born in Dec, son, MD; Sallie Ruth, 22, Helper, single, Helper in Home, MD"
  
• 1900 US Federal Census, Beaver Dam, Hanover County, Virginia : "Sewell Hepburn, 54, June 1845, married 29 years, MO/MD/MD, Rector; Selina, 57, Dec 1842, married 29 years, mother of 5, 5 living, VA/VA/VA; Norval son 20, Dec 1879, MD/MO/VA, At School; Mary Brooks servant 27, Apr 1873, VA; Lavinia, 4, Sep 1895, VA"
  
• "A Day's Weddings", New York Times, 7 Jun 1904 : "Baltimore, Md., June 6 - The marriage of Miss Catherine M Houghton, daughter of the late Mr and Mrs A A Houghton of Buffalo, NY to Thomas Norval Hepburn, son of the Rev. and Mrs S S Hepburn of Acomac County, Virginia, took place at Christ Church in this city, this afternoon at 4:30 o'clock.  The Rev S S Hepburn performed the ceremony, assisted by the Rev Percy Wroth."
• 1910 US Federal Census, Hartford, Connecticut : "Thomas N Hepburn, 30, married first, 6 years ago, VA/MD/VA, Physician; Katherine, wife, 32, NY/MA/NY; Thomas H, son, 4, CT; Katherine H, daughter, 2, CT; Ida J Wood, servant, mulatto, 35, VA, Housekeeper"
• US World War I Draft Registration Cards : "Thomas Norval Hepburn, resident 352 Laurel St, Hartford; born 18 Dec 1879, Surgeon.  Wife: Katharine Houghton Hepburn.  Medium height, Stout, Blue eyes, Light Brown hair
  
• 1920 US Federal Census, Hartford, Connecticut : "352 Laurel Street, Dr T N Hepburn, 40,  VA/MD/VA, Surgeon; Katherine H Hepburn, wife, 41, NY/MA/NY; Thomas H, son, 14, CT; Katherine H, daughter, 12, CT; Richard H, son, 8, CT; Robert H, son, 6, CT; Marion H, daughter, 1 9/12, CT; Fannie Ciarrier, servant, 43, Italy, Cook; Marcell Ciarrier, boarder, 13, France; Bertha Bituer, servant, 23, Germany-Poland, Housemaid"
• U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 "Thomas Norval Hepburn, born Hanover, Virginia, residence 201 Bloomfield Ave, West Hartford, Connecticut, born 18 Dec 1879
  
• Connecticut Death Index 1949-2001 "Thoma N Hepburn, died 20 Nov 1962, West Hartford, age 82, married"

Secondary Sources for 2

• Kate: The Woman Who Was Hepburn, by William J Mann.  Henry Holt and Company, 2006.
  

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3 Katherine Martha Houghton
Katherine Martha Houghton was born 1878, the daughter of Alfred Augustus Houghton and his wife Caroline Garlinghouse.  On 7 Jun 1904 at Christ Church in Baltimore, she married Thomas Norval Hepburn.  Katherine and Thomas had a son Thomas in 1905 or 1906, and their daughter Katharine Hepburn, the future actress on 12 May 1907.  On 5 Apr 1908, a letter from her was published in the New York Times, "Women and Custom" in which she was responding to an editorial, with her taking the position that if women had the vote, they would certainly vote.  Her name is printed by way of signature as "Katherine Houghton Hepburn, Hartford, Conn".  A few months later in December, she writes again to the New York Times this time as "Katharine Houghton Hepburn, New York" in defense of the idea that woman want the vote not to prove they are superior, but only to be equal and defend the views of women in the legislature.

Katherine was a graduate of Bryn Mawr College for women, her best friend during that time was Mary Towle who formed a relationship with another student Bertha Rembaugh.  These two women, both lawyers, moved in together in Greenwich Village.  Bertha, reports William J Mann "had been the first woman to run for a municipal court judgeship in New York", while Mary Towle was the "first woman appointed as an assistant U.S. attorney east of the Mississippi".  In a curious twist, Mary was appointed by William Hayward, whose son Leland  would later be the main instigator, as her agent, to propel Katharine Hepburn to stardom in Hollywood.

Katherine, reports Mann, took her two eldest children with her on frequent visits to Towle and Rembaugh in the Village, where they all attended meetings of the club Heterodoxy.  Mann reports that among others, she was friends with Katharine Susan Anthony the writer and her life partner Elisabeth Irwin the educator, who are called, at least by a one source, the most "public" of the members of that club.  Towle and Rembaugh had apparently separated sometime before 1920, but were living near each other in the village.

Thomas and Katherine's eldest son Thomas committed suicide at the age of 15 at the Waverly Place, Greenwich Village home of Mary Towle.  Katharine Hepburn (the future actress) found her brother's dead body, he had killed himself by slow strangulation as Mann reports.

Thomas and Katharine had six children in all: Thomas, Katherine, Richard, Robert, Marion and Margaret.   Katherine was an out-spoken leader of the Women's Suffrage campaign in Connecticut and elsewhere.

Primary Sources for 3

• "A Day's Weddings", New York Times, 7 Jun 1904 : "Baltimore, Md., June 6 - The marriage of Miss Catherine M Houghton, daughter of the late Mr and Mrs A A Houghton of Buffalo, NY to Thomas Norval Hepburn, son of the Rev. and Mrs S S Hepburn of Acomac County, Virginia, took place at Christ Church in this city, this afternoon at 4:30 o'clock.  The Rev S S Hepburn performed the ceremony, assisted by the Rev Percy Wroth."
• 1910 US Federal Census, Hartford, Connecticut : "Thomas N Hepburn, 30, married first, 6 years ago, VA/MD/VA, Physician; Katherine, wife, 32, NY/MA/NY; Thomas H, son, 4, CT; Katherine H, daughter, 2, CT; Ida J Wood, servant, mulatto, 35, VA, Housekeeper"
• US World War I Draft Registration Cards : "Thomas Norval Hepburn, resident 352 Laurel St, Hartford; born 18 Dec 1879, Surgeon.  Wife: Katharine Houghton Hepburn.  Medium height, Stout, Blue eyes, Light Brown hair
• 1920 US Federal Census, Hartford, Connecticut : "352 Laurel Street, Dr T N Hepburn, 40,  VA/MD/VA, Surgeon; Katherine H Hepburn, wife, 41, NY/MA/NY; Thomas H, son, 14, CT; Katherine H, daughter, 12, CT; Richard H, son, 8, CT; Robert H, son, 6, CT; Marion H, daughter, 1 9/12, CT; Fannie Ciarrier, servant, 43, Italy, Cook; Marcell Ciarrier, boarder, 13, France; Bertha Bituer, servant, 23, Germany-Poland, Housemaid"

Secondary Sources for 3

• Kate: The Woman Who Was Hepburn, by William J Mann.  Henry Holt and Company, 2006.
  

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4 Sewell Stavely Hepburn
Sewell Stavely Hepburn born Jun 1845 Hannibal, Ralls County, Missouri

Primary Sources for 4

• 1880 US Federal Census, Edesville, Kent County, Maryland : "Rev Sewell S Hepburn, 35, P E Minister, MO; Selina L, 34, wife, Keeping House, VA; Charles L, 7, son, VA; Sewell S Jr, 6, son, VA; Lloyd P, 4, son, MD; Selina L, 2, daughter, MD; T Norval, 5/12, born in Dec, son, MD; Sallie Ruth, 22, Helper, single, Helper in Home, MD"
  
• 1900 US Federal Census, Beaver Dam, Hanover County, Virginia : "Sewell Hepburn, 54, June 1845, married 29 years, MO/MD/MD, Rector; Selina, 57, Dec 1842, married 29 years, mother of 5, 5 living, VA/VA/VA; Norval son 20, Dec 1879, MD/MO/VA, At School; Mary Brooks servant 27, Apr 1873, VA; Lavinia, 4, Sep 1895, VA"
  
• "A Day's Weddings", New York Times, 7 Jun 1904 : "Baltimore, Md., June 6 - The marriage of Miss Catherine M Houghton, daughter of the late Mr and Mrs A A Houghton of Buffalo, NY to Thomas Norval Hepburn, son of the Rev. and Mrs S S Hepburn of Acomac County, Virginia, took place at Christ Church in this city, this afternoon at 4:30 o'clock.  The Rev S S Hepburn performed the ceremony, assisted by the Rev Percy Wroth."

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5 Selina Lloyd Powell, born 1842

6 Alfred Augustus Houghton, born 1851

7 Caroline Garlinghouse, born 1856
8 Sewell Hepburn
9 Martha Priscilla Maslin

10 Charles Levin Powell

11 Selina Lloyd
12 Amory Houghton
13 Sophronia Mann Oakes

14 Leman Benton Garlinghouse

15 Martha Ann Spaulding

 
Katharine Hepburn is a 20th-generation descendant of Edward III, this is her shortest royal ascent known.

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